Fireworks
by CookiesForMe
Summary: A dead petty officer brings the NCIS team to Sacramento, unaware that bringing the two teams together will cause fireworks... and not just emotional ones. Red John makes an appearance and decides that his final showdown will include not just the team he has been playing with for years, but also the NCIS team. Rated T to be sure. Please R&R, better than it sounds, i promise x
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Hey, this is my first crossover Fanfic, so I hope its okay. Please let me know what you think of it as I'm very insecure about this one. I will get round to updating my mentalist fics at some point, although I do admit I have writer's block on some of them. Well, here you go. I don't think it will be long, though it depends on what pairings you would like to see. I'm more comfortable with the mentalist characters than the NCIS characters, that's all. And I am a Jisbon shipper, so we will most likely have Jisbon and maybe Tiva, but I'm not quite sure about either of them yet.**

**I own neither the Mentalist nor NCIS.**

**Fireworks**

Lisbon and Jane stared down at the dead and mutilated body of petty officer Simon Freen in the middle of his messy living room and Lisbon finally pulled her cell out of her pocket, dialling a number and pressing the phone to her ear.

"Hey, we have a body… Petty Officer Simon Freen… No way… Joint?... Sure… See you then… Bye."

She hung up and put the phone back into her pocket, Jane staring at her intently.

"NCIS is coming from Washington DC for a joint investigation on this case."

…

McGee watched as Ziva and Tony were arguing, again. He wasn't even sure what this one was about anymore. His phone began to ring and he picked his cell up immediately to look at the caller ID. A smile graced his features as he answered it quickly.

"Hey T… What?... Who?... That's ours… Joint?... Fine, it'll be good to see you T… See you as soon as possible, okay?... See you… Bye."

McGee hung up the phone to find Tony and Ziva had stopped their argument and were now watching him curiously.

"Who was that, Probie?" Tony asked, clearly waiting for something he could use to tease him with later. Ziva just watched him curiously without saying anything.

McGee was saved from answering Tony's question as Gibbs walked purposefully into the room.

"Hey, boss," McGee called, causing Gibbs to turn to McGee's desk and stand there, waiting impatiently with his usual cup of coffee in his hand. "We have a case in Sacramento, California. Dead Petty Officer. Simon Freen. Joint investigation with the CBI."

"Gear up then. We'll take Ducky and Abby too."

…

McGee saw Lisbon before she saw him. She was talking to another woman with red hair about something to do with passwords and system checks.

"T!" He called out, causing Lisbon to turn around and a grin to spread on her face.

"Tim!" She walked up to him immediately, giving him a hug. Tony's mouth was hanging open as he saw the clearly attractive petite brunette hugging McGee, both with smiles on their faces. Ziva just smirked at Tony's expression.

"I'm glad you came," Lisbon told them all as she led the NCIS team, including Abby and Ducky, into the bullpen. Tony stepped forward, holding his hand out to Cho, who just stared back without a hint of expression on his face.

"You must be the boss," He said, holding his hand out to a less than impressed Cho. Lisbon raised her eyebrow and Rigsby immediately ran out of the room to get out of the firing range of his boss, closely followed by Grace who didn't really want to be a witness to a crime either. Jane smirked from where he lay on the couch, though he kept his eyes shut firmly.

"Agent Cho," Cho said, his expression unchanging. "And I'm not the boss. Boss, got that info you wanted." He added, walking up to Lisbon and handing her a thin file. She nodded her thanks and opened the file, scanning the contents quickly.

"Cho, can you please tell Rigsby and Van Pelt that they can come out of hiding now?"

"Sure thing, boss."

Cho also disappeared from the room quickly, though he had all intentions of coming back.

"Well, I didn't know," Tony muttered, to which Gibbs slapped him upside the head sharply. Lisbon grinned as Tony winced in pain.

"Agent Lisbon," Lisbon introduced herself to the team stood before her. "Agent Rigsby was the tall one you saw run first, Agent Van Pelt is the one who followed closely after him. Agent Cho is the one who has gone to get them." Jane cleared his throat from the couch and Lisbon sighed. "And that is the great Patrick Jane," She added sarcastically, gesturing to the blonde man who appeared to be asleep on the leather couch.

"Agent Gibbs," Gibbs said, stepping forward and shaking Lisbon's hand politely. "These are Agents DiNozzo, David, and I believe you already know Agent McGee."

"Yes, that's true, I do know Tim."

"I'm Abby," The dark-haired Goth bounced forward, enveloping Lisbon in a hug, to which she seemed slightly scared and wary, causing McGee to have troubles in keeping a straight face. Abby finally decided she had hugged the petite agent enough and stepped back with a grin on her face. Lisbon coughed and also took a step back.

"I'm Dr Donald Mallard," Ducky said, holding his hand out to Lisbon politely, who shook it immediately. "But everyone calls me Ducky, dear."

"Okay, Ducky." She smiled brightly and Ducky laughed, stepping back into the group. Lisbon cleared her throat, but before she could speak, Jane got up from the couch and headed for the elevators.

"Where are you going Jane?" She called after him, clearly annoyed but also resigned to his ways and was halfway to accepting it already and he hadn't even spoken.

"Attic," He answered, pointing upwards. "I'm going to read over the Red John files again."

"You've memorised them already."

"I could have missed something."

"Jane-"

Jane just got onto the elevator without answering, and Lisbon sighed in defeat. Just then, the rest of her team came in, looking round for Jane automatically.

"Where's Jane?" Grace asked curiously as she sat at her desk and booted up her computer again.

"Red John," Lisbon answered with a sigh, shaking her head slightly as she placed the file down on the nearby table.

The NCIS team watched curiously as those two words spoken by the petite woman seemed to put a damper on everyone's mood and they all just accepted the brief explanation and got back to work. Lisbon turned back to them after only a short moment.

"Would you like me to show you the crime scene? I'm sure my agents can help the rest of you out by showing you Autopsy and Forensics and anything else you might want to do."

"Sure," Gibbs answered. "DiNozzo, McGee, you will go to the crime scene with Agent Lisbon. Ziva, you stay with me and we'll see what we can find here. Abby, Ducky, you two can go down to see Autopsy and Forensics when you are ready to."

"Let's go," Lisbon announced, grabbing her jacket and keys as the two men followed her out of the room. Cho glanced up at Gibbs.

"They better not annoy her." He told Gibbs in a monotone voice. "She may end up just killing them."

…

McGee sat up front in the SUV as Lisbon drove, leaving Tony to sit in the back seat and grumble to himself.

"So, how you been, T?" McGee asked gently, watching the petite woman in the driver's seat. Lisbon smiled briefly at him as they stopped at a red light.

"T?" Tony snickered from the back seat, causing McGee to sigh.

"Don't worry, he might stop after the first threat of violence," McGee told Lisbon, who grinned as she drove through the side streets carefully, not breaking any speed limit.

"Violence? She's tiny." Tony said disbelievingly. Lisbon snorted but decided to ignore his remark. Instead, she decided to answer McGee's question instead.

"I'm fine Tim. You?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How's James?"

"Rivalling that girl, Abby, for the Goth look. I swear, you walk into his house and it's like you've walked into a dungeon. I like it though."

"Really? He beats Abby for being a Goth?" Tony asked curiously, bringing his head between the two front seats to listen to the conversation better.

"Really. I don't speak to him as much as I speak to Tommy though." Lisbon told them, aiming her words to McGee instead of Tony. McGee smiled as he thought of something.

"Annabeth still wanna be a cop like you?"

"Yep. And yes, I have tried to talk her out of it. Constantly. She won't budge, though. She's stubborn."

"Who does that remind me of I wonder?"

Lisbon laughed as she pulled up to the crime scene. She loved talking to Tim, and this time was no different. Tony watched the woman walk ahead of them and pulled McGee back to talk to him.

"You got yourself a girl? Wow, I don't believe it, McRomance."

"What you talking about DiNozzo?"

"I'm talking about you and T. What does T stand for anyway?"

"Teresa." Both men turned to find Lisbon stood in front of them, a smirk on her face. McGee looked at her pleadingly and she decided to help him out a bit with his insufferable partner. "And it's a name you'll never get to use for me, Agent DiNozzo. Come on, Tim." She turned and walked away, leaving the two men to follow her.

"And stop staring at my ass, DiNozzo," She yelled behind her, and Tony jumped in shock, staring at the petite agent with equal parts awe and embarrassment. McGee laughed and followed his friend into the house, leaving Tony to follow them when he collected himself again.

…

Tony and McGee wandered round the house, making slight observations to each other as they inspected each room thoroughly. Lisbon just stood in the living room, staring out of the front window. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialled a familiar number as both Tony and Tim appeared behind her.

"Jane?... Why are you still up there?... Please go back to your couch and get some rest… I already said please… No, no I won't. Go screw yourself."

She hung up the phone abruptly, even more pissed than before. Tony stepped behind her to attempt to scare her, but she just sighed.

"Get away from me, DiNozzo."

Tony jumped in surprise. "How did you know it was me?"

"Because Tim knows better than to do that to me. You all done here?"

"Yep," McGee chimed in and Lisbon turned to face the two men.

"Okay, let's get back to the office then."

…

Gibbs watched as Cho worked something out on the computer and sent it to print. Cho knew he was being watched but didn't really care much. Rigsby had his head stuck in the fridge once again, and Ziva and Grace were sat at the latter's computer. Lisbon walked in, flanked by DiNozzo and McGee. She looked round and turned to Cho.

"Rigsby in the break room again?"

"Uh huh."

"Rigsby! Get back in here! I don't think the food will get mouldy because you leave it for five minutes!"

Rigsby shuffled back in with a sandwich in his hands. Lisbon stared at it and frowned.

"That's mine."

"It's a meatball sub. Didn't think you were eating it," Rigsby mumbled round a mouthful of food. Lisbon's face changed colour at the mention of the meatball sub and she stared at her feet.

"It's okay Rigs. I don't want it anymore anyway." She said in a small voice and then continued in a louder voice. "Anyone got anything?" Everyone shook their heads. "Right, well, I'm taking a breather. Call me if you get anything." She directed to Cho before heading out of the room and out of the building. Tony glanced to McGee, who just shrugged. Tony got up and followed the direction Lisbon had taken out of the building.

…

He found her sat on a bench just across the street from the CBI building and sat silently beside her. She had her knees up to her chest and looked utterly tiny compared to everyone else. DiNozzo felt instantly protective of this small agent, even if she wasn't as young or innocent as Abby.

"What's up?" He asked gently. Lisbon stared straight ahead as she answered in a tiny voice; completely unlike any tone Tony had heard her use so far to anyone she had spoken to.

"My mentor ate my meatball sub once, teasing me about eating it and everything. He was gunned down in the CBI building the day after. I haven't gotten a meatball sub since. I tried today, but Rigs ate it before I could try to." A small but sad smile graced her features by the end of her words. Tony just watched her, not quite sure how to continue without upsetting her more.

"How did he die if he was still in a secure building?"

"It was his secretary, Rebecca."

Lisbon's cell began ringing but she ignored it. Tony nudged her slightly, making sure he didn't hurt her at all.

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

"Nope. I know who it is and I don't want to speak to them. You can if you want though." She held the ringing phone out to DiNozzo, who looked at the caller ID curiously.

"It's that guy who disappeared back in the office," He told her and she nodded, not moving her arm once. Eventually the ringing stopped and she set the phone down on the bench between them.

"Why do things like that happen?" She asked DiNozzo, still staring at nothing in front of her. Tony put his arm around her shoulder carefully.

"Because the evil outweighs the good in this world," He told her firmly and she smiled slightly. "Let me take you out for a late lunch," He told her and she nodded, slowly uncurling herself from her defensive position and standing up carefully. DiNozzo stood up beside her and handed her the cell phone from the bench seat. She nodded and walked beside Tony as they walked down the street in silence to the nearby diner.

…

"Thanks Tony," Lisbon said round a mouthful of burger. Tony tried to wave it off immediately but Lisbon stopped him. "No, I mean it Tony. I most likely wouldn't have eaten otherwise."

"Seriously?" Tony couldn't help but ask as he took a bite of his own burger.

"Yes, seriously. I tend to forget whether I have eaten or not so I usually just leave it." Lisbon shrugged and took a swig of her coffee. Tony watched appreciatively and curiously. This petite woman was the first person he knew who could drink coffee the way Gibbs liked it and not wince or gag at the taste. Lisbon smiled at him as she noticed his stare. "What?"

"Didn't know that's how you liked your coffee, that's all."

"Oh, yeah," Lisbon looked down into her mug at the dark liquid. "The others think it's weird that I don't use milk or sugar most of the time. I just don't see the point in adding anything to it if it already tastes good the way it is."

"I know someone who is exactly the same, so don't worry," Tony replied, taking a gulp of his own coffee. Lisbon put down her cup reluctantly as her phone began ringing again. She looked at the caller ID and concern covered her face as she picked it up urgently and pressed the green button.

"Who the hell is this?" She demanded as she heard a wheezy chuckle from the other end of the line.

"_Why, my dear Teresa, I would have thought you would know who I am just by the caller ID. I'm especially hurt that you don't recognise my voice though."_

"Red John." Her voice was void of all emotion and Tony looked at her blank face in concern. There were those two words that seemed to change the demeanour of all the SCU CBI agents.

"_Well done my dear. You are smart, aren't you? I just wanted to let you know that my work includes a petty officer by the name of Simon Freen."_

"It was you? Why?"

"_All in good time, my dear Teresa. First of all, you and your lovely dark haired companion may want to run before it is time for the firework display. You have ten seconds. Goodbye for now Teresa, my dear."_

"Run!" Lisbon yelled as she ran herself for the exit, DiNozzo following closely behind her, though he was more than a little confused. They had just managed to hit the sidewalk when the entire diner exploded, lifting them both into the air with the force of the blast. Tony managed to grab Lisbon before she hit the ground, making sure she landed on him instead. Debris landed around them, but he was too busy checking Lisbon for injuries to care. They both sat up on the hard ground and looked at the pile of metal and wood that was once a diner they had been eating in happily just moments earlier.

"Wow," Tony said, watching the raging fire in front of him as Lisbon sat beside him, gasping slightly. "How did you know?"

"Red John told me," She gasped, trying to calm down enough to breathe properly. She eventually managed it and elaborated for DiNozzo's benefit. "He called me. The caller ID told me it was Death calling. I answered and he told me we had ten seconds before the firework display."

"And you automatically thought it was a bomb?"

"Yes. He's a psychopathic sadistic serial killer. What else would you think he meant by the words 'firework display' when you're sat eating in a diner?"

"I don't know," He replied, turning to face her. "But, do these circumstances mean I can call you Teresa?"

**TBC…?**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N): Sorry if this isn't as good as the last chapter but I didn't want this one too focused on the case. I will deal with Red John at some point but not now. I don't like that creep all that much so I will probably put him off until I cant do anything else but include him. Shame. Thank you, HannahbananaJane who suggested I should have Jisbon and Tiva in this fic. This is leading into it and I have an idea of how to get them all together. So, not much of anything in this chapter, but I promise the next one will have more in. Thanks to the people who have reviewed; it's really appreciated.**

**Reviews are like cookies; they make me very happy.**

**I don't own NCIS. I don't own the Mentalist. Clear enough?**

_Previously:_

"_Wow," Tony said, watching the raging fire in front of him as Lisbon sat beside him, gasping slightly. "How did you know?"_

"_Red John told me," She gasped, trying to calm down enough to breathe properly. She eventually managed it and elaborated for DiNozzo's benefit. "He called me. The caller ID told me it was Death calling. I answered and he told me we had ten seconds before the firework display."_

"_And you automatically thought it was a bomb?"_

"_Yes. He's a psychopathic sadistic serial killer. What else would you think he meant by the words 'firework display' when you're sat eating in a diner?"_

"_I don't know," He replied, turning to face her. "But, do these circumstances mean I can call you Teresa?"_

**Fireworks**

**Chapter 2**

Gibbs, McGee, and Cho showed up within ten minutes of the explosion to find DiNozzo and Lisbon sat together on the grassy verge outside the place where a diner had once stood. It was now a mass of bent steel and charred wood with thick black smoke rising from it. The two Agents seemed to be the only people to make it out alive. Tony had his arm placed around Lisbon's shoulders, and she had an arm wrapped tightly round his waist. Gibbs glared at the pair on the ground for a moment, McGee looked plain confused, and Cho snapped a quick photo with his cell phone for later use.

Tony looked up at his boss and managed a small grin. "It's just a scratch boss. I'll be able to get up in a moment. Teresa here is helping me." Lisbon rolled her eyes at him at the blatant use of her first name and his half-hearted attempts at assuring them he was fine.

"Do you have a paramedic?" Lisbon asked as soon as she saw them all coming up to them, though she made no attempt to move from her position next to Tony. She was so close she was practically sat on his lap. Gibbs waved one over immediately, and Lisbon removed her hand slowly from Tony's waist. It was almost completely covered in a deep red sticky liquid. Tony immediately began to wobble with fluttering eyelids and Lisbon put her arm back around him supportively while the paramedics started to work on his side so they could get him up and into an ambulance.

"What happened to one of my best agents, Lisbon?" Gibbs asked coldly. Lisbon looked at the ground as she spoke, staring at the spot where Tony had landed with her on top of him when the explosion had sent them both flying.

"Bomb went off. Debris caught him in his side as he went down."

"Why were you two in there in the first place?"

"Eating, Gibbs."

"It's too late for lunch."

"He was cheering me up and offered to get me a late lunch, that's all."

"She forgets to eat like a normal person boss," McGee mentioned in Lisbon's defence and she smiled gratefully in his direction as Gibbs glared at him.

"So, how come you're not injured as well?" He asked gruffly.

"Tony," Lisbon answered simply. "He pulled me onto him instead of hitting the ground so I wouldn't get hurt."

"Tony did that? Our DiNozzo?" McGee asked incredulously, getting a head slap from Gibbs immediately.

"Yes he did Tim."

The four stood in an awkward silence until the paramedic showed back up and made Lisbon get into the ambulance along with Tony so they could check her for injuries on the way to the hospital. The other three jumped into the car they had arrived in immediately to follow the ambulance, leaving the local PD to canvas the scene. Two of the best agents in law enforcement were in that ambulance, and they had to be with them as soon as physically possible.

…

Tony seemed to focus on the present again on the ride up to the hospital and he turned his head to look at Lisbon, who was curled up onto a bench at the side again. She looked so much like a scared little girl waiting for her mummy that it made his heart ache.

"You look tiny when you do that," He told her, watching in amusement and concern as she jumped in surprise then glared at him.

"Why did you do that?" She asked in a small voice and his grin immediately faded as he knew she wasn't talking about him scaring her just then. "Why did you save me like that when you knew you would end up hurt instead?"

Tony sighed and attempted to move from the gurney, but was held in place by an annoyed paramedic who shot him a glare as well. "You're so small and hopeful; it made me feel protective of you," He told her truthfully, wincing as he shifted slightly on the gurney. "I don't mean in a creepy way either, just so you know. I mean in a sort of brotherly way, I guess. I just didn't want to see you hurt."

"Thank you Tony," Lisbon whispered, standing up to kiss his forehead tenderly. "Though I doubt I need another brother," She added with a laugh. Tony was confused, so she elaborated for him. "I already have three brothers by blood, and Rigsby and Cho feel like brothers to me as well."

"You don't count that Jane person as a brother?" He asked confusedly.

"It's… complicated. You don't think you have enough sisters with that Abby and Agent David?"

"Abby is definitely younger sister material," Tony said with a grin, but it faded quickly as he continued. "As for Agent David… It's complicated."

"Isn't life always?" Lisbon asked with a sigh as she settled back into the seat for the rest of the drive.

xxx

"Abby? Why did you call us down here?" Ziva asked as she walked into the forensic lab followed by Rigsby, Grace, Jane and Ducky. Abby appeared from behind a machine and watched them all carefully.

"Have you seen the news?" She asked them, her usual bouncy demeanour all disappeared.

"No," Ziva answered for them all. Abby heaved a big sigh and began talking at her usual speed; fast.

"There was a bomb and Tony and Lisbon were in it and Tony's hurt and Gibbs, McGee and Cho followed them up there. Gibbs told me where Tony was hurt and I've been going over everything a million times and there's only one way he could have been hurt like that-"

She stopped to take a deep breath and showed them a reconstruction of the bomb and Tony and Lisbon getting away from it. Ziva stopped her before she could continue with her ramblings.

"There was a bomb? Are they okay? How bad were they hurt?"

"Yes, there was a bomb but don't you see? No matter how I have them falling as they hit the sidewalk, they would both be hurt, but Gibbs told me it was just Tony who was hurt and I don't understand it at all."

"Miss Abby," Grace said suddenly, walking forward until she could see the scene right in front of her eyes as she stared at the screen intently. "What if Agent DiNozzo grabbed our boss and pulled her to him so she wouldn't get hurt? What if she landed on top of him?"

Abby immediately ran to the nearest computer and tried it out, gasping when it was proven correct. "Wow, your boss is light," She commented, earning herself a weird look from the CBI agents and Ziva. "What?" She asked the room. "The wound wasn't much deeper than if he would have fallen on it without the extra weight on him. It would have gone deeper into him if your boss weighed more."

Abby and Ziva both stared in astonishment and confusion as Grace and Rigsby glared at the consultant for a moment before turning away and focusing on the screen once more.

…

"Stay," Tony asked Lisbon suddenly, grabbing her hand as she attempted to leave his hospital room so others could visit him. "I want to talk to you some more. Pleas Teresa?"

"About what?" Lisbon asked tiredly as she sat back down into the uncomfortable chair beside his bed and threw her jacket back to the floor.

"I just… I wish I could tell her how I feel sometimes, you know? I wish I didn't have to keep it all bottled up inside. I think you understand that more than anyone else would."

"Yes, I do," Lisbon told him sadly. "I sometimes wish for the same thing. But I don't know how to make him see how I feel. If I tell him and he doesn't feel the same way then I have nothing left to hope for. I'll have nothing left worth fighting for."

"I know what you mean," Tony told her gently as he grasped her hand in his own and squeezed it slightly. She smiled at him slightly.

"I don't think I'm the best person to be having these conversations with." She told him. "I don't deal with emotions well. I sort of ignore it all until it gets too much for me to handle and then I sort of explode on people."

"I cover things up with jokes. I think we're more alike than you think we are."

"Okay," She agreed. "But what are we going to do? If you want Ziva and I want Patrick, how are we going to get them?"

"Hmm… Oh I've got it!"

"What is it?"

"Well, we should…"

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N): Hey, I don't care who reads this anymore as I am just going to post bits up whenever I can, so if you want to read it, you can. But I don't care if you leave a review or not because I am aware this isn't really a good fic, but I am making it up as I go along so… I mean, I do appreciate all you people who are supportive of this fic, but I don't think that many people are. If you are, then I am sorry. Anyways, I'm not sure if this is a longer chapter this time or not…**

**I do not own NCIS or the Mentalist.**

**Fireworks**

**Chapter 3**

Gibbs was pacing the hospital waiting room impatiently when Abby, Ziva, Rigsby, Grace and Jane barged through the hospital doors. They had been waiting and waiting for the nurses to give the go ahead to get into DiNozzo's hospital room, but they still weren't allowed in yet.

"Hey, when can we see Agent DiNozzo?" He asked a nurse yet again, his usually limited patience even shorter than normal.

"DiNozzo? Oh, you mean Tony? That cute agent? You can see him whenever he's finished talking to the woman who's with him at the moment," The nurse told him cheerfully before continuing her rounds with a smile. Everyone stared after her in shock.

"He wants to see you all," A voice said from the other end of the waiting room and everyone turned to find Lisbon stood against a wall looking at the floor. The entire NCIS team rushed past her without a word and she still didn't look up, instead just messing with her phone in one of her hands.

Cho's pocket vibrated, signalling he had a text message. He opened it curiously.

_Outside now, Cho. I need to talk to you. L x_

Cho looked up in shock but Lisbon had disappeared and the other three were getting something to drink from a vending machine a bit further down the hallway. He sighed and headed for the outside garden of the hospital. He knew that's where Lisbon would have gone to.

…

"Took you long enough," Lisbon said from behind him. Cho turned, a slight smirk on his face that disappeared once he took in her clothes.

"Boss," He said, gesturing to her once white shirt. She looked down at herself and smiled back up at him while wiping half-heartedly at the large red stain n her clothes from where she had been holding Tony up.

"It's not mine, Cho. I only called you out here because I need you for something."

"Anything boss. You know that."

"Well…"

…

Tony was only half paying attention to the people talking happily to him. The other half of him was concentrating solely on his and Teresa's plan for them both to be happy. It needed to work perfectly, though it still needed to be subtle. From what she had told him, the Jane person was extremely smart and could spot deception and hidden agendas a mile away. Ziva was also smart like that and would probably spot something if they weren't perfect.

He had no romantic feelings for Teresa, he just felt more like a protective older brother to her, though he wasn't sure if he was actually older than her or not. She sometimes looked older, and then at other times she looked about seventeen, mainly when she was vulnerable or truly happy.

He sat up straighter and managed a small yet genuine smile when Lisbon walked in carrying coffees for everyone in the room. She handed them out efficiently, and even managed to produce a Caf-Pow for Abby, at which the gothic scientist squealed and hugged the petite brunette again tightly, almost causing her to drop the remaining coffee she still held for herself. Lisbon patted her back awkwardly until the scientist jumped back and immediately began drinking her caffeinated drink like there was nothing greater on Earth.

"Still got your slush?" Tony asked teasingly. Lisbon stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation.

"Still got your baby coffee?"

"Totally. The cream and sugar makes it taste so much nicer."

Lisbon scrunched her face up in disgust. "No it doesn't. If you're going to have coffee, you don't add unnecessary things. It just ruins it."

"Whatever you say."

"Sure."

"You caught the guy yet?"

Lisbon face drained of colour and she looked down at the floor. "No. I doubt we will."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ziva asked harshly, causing Lisbon to look up and glare at the other female agent in the room.

"It means my team have been hunting him for the best part of a decade and no-one has caught him yet!"

"It's Red John?" A voice said incredulously from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Patrick Jane stood there with a crazy glint in his eyes, shaking slightly. Lisbon sighed in resignation before answering him.

"Yes. Yes Jane, it is."

"How did you know there was a bomb in the diner, Lisbon?"

"He told me. Red John told me I had ten seconds until a 'firework display'. I wasn't taking any chances with it."

"He rang you?" Jane checked cautiously and Lisbon nodded warily. He immediately went closer to her, invading her personal space, and she backed up instinctively until she was stood next to Tony's head against the wall next to the bed. Jane still approached her, looking more like a predator than her consultant at that moment in time.

"I need the phone Lisbon." She shook her head firmly. "I need it." She still shook her head and he immediately began checking her pockets, even though she tried to stop him from doing so. When he went for her front jeans pockets after checking her jacket thoroughly, Gibbs pulled him off her harshly and shoved him against the opposite wall with a thud. Lisbon looked like she was about to fall down, so Tony pulled her gently over to sit next to him on the hospital bed. He put his arm round her protectively and she rested her head on his shoulder, shaking slightly in fear and adrenaline.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Gibbs yelled as Jane hit the opposite wall with a thud. He glared at the older man and tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but Gibbs held him tight.

"I was just checking her pocket, that's all. She wouldn't give her phone to me."

"She already gave her phone to that Cho agent," Gibbs snarled at him, face up to his menacingly. "She told him to get that Grace girl to try to trace the number. She didn't have it to give to you, and you were practically feeling her up!"

"No I wasn't! I wasn't feeling her up!"

"Yes you were. I suggest you go and calm down before you even speak to Agent Lisbon again! You also definitely need to apologise to her."

"But Lisbon-" He looked over to the subject of his words and saw the way Tony and Lisbon were almost cuddling and a white hot pain flared up in him and he almost lost the ability to breathe for a few seconds. He was too stubborn to think it was just plain jealousy though and walked out, slamming the door behind him. He figured it was just because he was angry at Lisbon that he felt like he could tear someone's throat out, maybe DiNozzo's right now. He stormed down the corridor, ignoring the shouts of people he barged into by accident. He needed to figure things out first before he could do anything else.

Tony felt Lisbon smile slightly into his neck and he had a hard time keeping the grin off his own face. However, he could still feel her shaking and he knew she needed more comfort for a while yet. His grip tightened on her imperceptibly and he whispered into her ear soothingly.

"You're safe. It will all be okay. I promise."

"You can't promise that," Lisbon whispered back into his neck, the shaking inher body not subsiding at all.

"Watch me."

…

Hidden safely away from the agents, Red John watched the entire scene gleefully and couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. Patrick had no idea about his feelings for the pretty brunette, that was for certain. The ignorant man couldn't see what was right under his nose, and still considered himself the smartest person in the room.

He better figure out his feelings concerning the lovely team leader state agent, Red John thought, before I decide it's time to up my end game and take the last thing that's keeping him in his lonely and sad world, and not in the land of the dead. His second true love, even if unknown to him at the moment; Teresa Lisbon.

He got out a piece of plain white paper and a fountain pen filled with blood red ink. Maybe it was time to hurry Patrick along a bit in his epiphany.

Grinning evilly, Red John put pen to paper and began to write.

_Dear Patrick…_

**TBC…?**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N): Hey, I know, I know, I have taken ages to update this one, even after everyone has been very patient with me in waiting. The truth is that I didn't have a clue what to write next, and my college work got in the way. I just hope I don't get in trouble for doing this instead of my biology work.**

**Oh and before anyone says anything, it is OOC,and Tony isn't being romantic. Just thought I'd say that.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. It means the world to me.**

**I do not own the mentalist.**

**Fireworks**

**Chapter 4**

When Lisbon and DiNozzo were finally alone once more, they began to discuss intently the second part to their joint plan, the sweet part concerning Tony and Ziva. Tony knew that deep down he wouldn't be able to make Ziva jealous and also be able to convince her that he was being honest with her, so they had quickly disregarded that plan as useless. Now they were trying to come up with other solutions to it.

"You're a woman," DiNozzo stated as he leant back onto the pillows behind him to make himself more comfortable as he winced from the pain in his side. Lisbon laughed from her position crossed-legged at the end of the hospital bed he was currently lay in.

"So nice of you to notice, Tony. I'm truly surprised." Lisbon teased him immediately, hardly able to keep upright with her laughing shaking her whole frame.

"Not what I meant," DiNozzo said, shaking his head but laughing at the same time. Her laughter was plain infectious and he couldn't help but laugh back. "I meant, you're a woman, so you'd know what I should get her."

"Ah," Lisbon said thoughtfully, all laughter gone as she leant against the rail of the bed casually. "If it were me in your shoes, I'd probably go for the classics; flowers or jewellery."

"Yeah, but this is Ziva we're talking about here. I don't think that would work."

"Well, she doesn't appear to be a very flowery person," Lisbon told him gently. "However, I don't think she'd mind it if you got her a small bouquet of something gentle and pretty."

"And she won't take her Star of David pendant off, and I won't ever ask her to."

"Then maybe a bracelet instead, yes?"

"Like what?"

"Well, the necklace is gold with the Star of David pendant, yes?"

"Yes, but I don't see where you're going with this."

"Get her a bracelet of the same kind."

"I don't get it." He said, looking utterly confused and lost.

Lisbon sighed. Men, they just didn't get it. At all. "Look, the gold shows that you're thinking about how she can wear it in conjunction with the necklace at all times," Lisbon explained patiently and Tony nodded slowly. "And the Star of David shows you care about her and her religion Tony." Tony nodded again slowly as comprehension seeped through.

"Ah, I get it now."

Lisbon smiled at him, shaking her head in a motherly way. Tony looked at her curiously with a hint of brotherly affection mixed in to his dark eyes.

"You look like my mum used to when you do that."

Lisbon looked startled, like a deer caught in the headlights even as she blushed slightly. "Do what?"

"Shaking your head at me almost as if you were my mum and were resigned to my ways." Lisbon smiled sheepishly, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry, it's a hard habit to break."

Tony looked at Lisbon in confusion and shock. "What, you're a mum? How come no-one told me before now?"

Lisbon looked up in complete surprise. "What? No. No, I've never been a mum!"

Tony watched her intently until she finally met his gaze. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes as she pulled her wallet out of her back pocket hesitantly and produced two old pictures. She handed the first to Tony, who looked at it intently and curiously.

It was a picture of a dark haired family with a mum, a dad, and four children, three boys and a girl. They all looked really happy together. Tony looked up to Lisbon.

"Which one are you? The mother or the little girl?"

Lisbon smiled bitterly. "The girl. I know I'm my mother's doppelganger, so you really don't need to remind me."

Jane walked up to the hospital room door, poised to knock and announce his presence, but stopped when he heard the sound of voices from within and instead stood with his ear to the door to hear what Lisbon and Tony were saying.

"Okay," Tony told her as he handed the picture back carefully and she placed it back into her wallet immediately as though she felt she would lose it if she left it out any longer. "What's the other picture?"

Lisbon handed it over silently, more tears clouding her green eyes. The picture must have been only a couple of years older than the last one he had seen and there was only the four children in that one, with Teresa in the middle of her brothers, holding the littlest one, who could only have been around three at that time.

All three of the oldest children had clearly showing bruises, especially Teresa who didn't appear to have even an inch of skin unmarred by a bruise or a scar. Only the baby of the family actually looked happy in the picture now. Tony looked up to see a tear trailing down Lisbon's face as she visibly fought the urge to snatch the photo back from his fingers.

"What can you see now?" She whispered in a watery voice and Tony wiped the tear away from her face gently with a comforting smile.

"I see a girl who had to grow up too quickly," He said, but he wasn't looking at the picture. He was watching Lisbon instead and the corner of her mouth moved upwards in a half-smile.

"That's the only picture I have of all of us after… Um, now I don't speak to any of them. Tommy's got a kid and a psycho ex, James is happily married with two kids, and Matty's travelling somewhere with his girlfriend, has been for years. I can't be near them anymore."

"Why not?"

"They don't see me as their sister anymore. They see me as the fussing, nagging woman who raised them up because our father couldn't get away from the bottle long enough to do it himself. Whenever I went round to see them, they'd act as though I was mum. I'm not though, and I never wanted to be. I just didn't have another choice at the time and it's too late to turn back time."

Tony nodded sympathetically but before they could continue the conversation, there was a sharp knock on the door and Patrick Jane poked his head in, his jaw tense and his emotions visibly restrained as he saw the pair on the bed.

"Lisbon, could I have a word please?" He asked, trying to ignore the fact she was sat on Tony's bed with him looking completely at ease. Lisbon looked to Tony quizzically, who nodded his head gently.

"Sure," Lisbon said, jumping off the bed and putting her wallet back into her pocket. She turned back to Tony before she exited the room with Jane. "I'll go get those things you wanted before I come back, okay?"

"Okay Teresa," Tony said with a laugh as Lisbon glared playfully at him and exited the room followed by a silently glowering Jane. Tony leant back into the pillows and closed his eyes. He could sleep for a while before anyone else came to see him.

**TBC…?**

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	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N): Cant be bothered with a long authors note this time, so whatever. Read it, don't, I don't mind. Review if you want, but I only update this when I have the time, so… yeah**

**I do not own NCIS, the mentalist, or any Bob Dylan songs, particularly blowin' in the wind.**

**Fireworks**

**Chapter 5**

Jane slammed the white door shut with more force than necessary and Lisbon had to fight the irrational urge to run away from him like a frightened animal. It was ridiculous; she shouldn't be scared out of her mind of her own consultant. Jane looked at Lisbon and opened his mouth hesitantly.

"Agent Gibbs asked me to apologise, and I guess I really should. I guess I never really thought about how it would look, that's all."

Lisbon looked at Jane, her confusion evident on her face. He quickly ran mentally through his words before realising.

"Oh, I meant that I'm sorry for before Lisbon." Lisbon nodded her head distractedly as she began mentally going through all the local jewellery shops and florists that would suit her needs. Jane automatically noticed her distraction and opened his mouth to say something about it promptly when a paper plane landed between them, blood red in colour. Curiously, Jane opened the paper and felt his blood run cold as he saw the typed words before his eyes.

_Dear Mister Jane,_

_She beautiful isn't she? Just a shame she isn't yours. Maybe never yours either. And you being accused of accosting her and attempting to 'feel her up'? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. However, it was highly amusing to watch, I must confess. She wasn't supposed to get hurt during the firework display, I can assure you of that. I have much more grand plans for the beautiful and fiery Teresa Lisbon. Mister Jane, you may want to, how would you say it, do a little 'soul searching' and realise what everyone else, including your little spitfire, have noticed for years. I will be back for her, Mister Jane, and then my endgame will be complete. You will be irreparably broken._

_Hope to see you soon, my dear friend. Say hello to my dear Teresa for me._

_RJ_

_How many years can some people exist, before they are allowed to be free?_

_Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn't see?_

_The answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind._

Lisbon looked over his shoulder at the note and felt the colour draining from her face. Red John had seen everything, was playing a new game with them, and there was little chance of them winning, like usual. Both Jane and Lisbon were so busy staring at the letter in shock that they failed to notice Agents Gibbs and Cho walking towards them. Cho took one look at the two shocked faces and his mouth set in a firm line. He knew those looks anywhere.

"Red John," He said calmly, stoically, even if he wanted to frown or throw something at the nearest wall. He hated what Red John could do to their team and wanted it to stop. It wasn't fair to Jane, and it wasn't fair to Lisbon. Gibbs looked confused.

"Red… John?"

Lisbon shook herself out of a trance and looked at Gibbs. "Yeah, Red John. Serial killer, likes messing with Jane's head a lot. Has just put a dagger above my head."

"No he hasn't," Jane muttered, still clutching the letter. Lisbon turned to him, her face disbelieving.

"Oh yeah? Jane, face it, I'm gonna die."

"No, you're not."

"Yeah, I am Jane. Everyone knows that if Red John's gonna kill someone, they'll end up dead sooner rather than later, no matter what we do to protect them. It's inevitable."

"No, no, it's not." Jane shook his head, his hands shaking slightly. Lisbon looked at him, compassion in her eyes.

"Jane, look at me."

He obeyed after a brief second of hesitation.

"Jane, you know all of this as well as I do. Look, I don't want to die, but I'm being realistic about this. There's no other choice really."

Cho coughed to interrupt the pair. "No, Boss, you're not gonna die at the hands of him. We'll make sure of it."

Lisbon smiled sadly. "Thanks Cho, it's sweet, but really there's no need."

Gibbs suddenly interrupted, his gruff voice soothing all the frayed nerves around him. "I still want to know if he apologised to you, Agent Lisbon."

"Huh? Oh yeah, he apologised."

"Okay, now we'll get that letter to Abby and see where we can go from there. Now then, does anyone recognise the song?"

Lisbon and Jane shook their heads, but Cho nodded, a short concise movement oh his head. "Yeah I do. It's called Blowin' In The Wind by Bob Dylan."

"Then what did those particular lyrics mean?" Lisbon asked, both to herself and to the other three in the corridor. Jane shrugged as his mind began deciphering the lyrics. Gibbs and Cho did the same before suddenly Lisbon once again broke the silence.

"The truth!"

Everyone turned to look at her in confusion.

"What?" Jane said eventually.

"The answer is blowing in the wind, right? Well, the main answer we all want most is usually the truth. The truth is blowing in the wind; it's there but will always be just out of our reach, we will never catch it, or him. He enjoys keeping the truth in the wind, so it's something that's all around us, but something that isn't tangible."

"Like what?" Gibbs asked eventually. Lisbon frowned.

"I don't know." Everyone looked withdrawn as each one of them searched their brains for anything whatsoever that could help them. Cho shook his head.

"Nah boss, I've got nothing." The Korean agent looked mad, like he was about to throw something, so Lisbon gently put her hand on his arm, causing him to look at her. "Sorry, boss."

"Don't Kimball," Lisbon told him softly. "I understand, but we'll work it out, don't worry."

"The carnival!" Jane suddenly yelled, making everyone look at him as though he'd gone insane.

"What?" Three voices asked at once, Lisbon curious, Cho appearing as emotionless as ever, and Gibbs looking slightly confused.

Jane turned to Lisbon. "Think about it Lisbon. Sam and Pete, believe it or not, are big believers in the truth, as are most carni folk, but for the ahem customers, we keep the truth in there, but always just out of reach so they keep spending money. It's like how a con works, part truth, part lie. We should go see Sam and Pete, maybe they know something."

"What about Danny?" Lisbon asked. "He's less well known for the truth and with the people he knows; wouldn't he be a better choice?" Jane thought for a moment before nodding.

"Let's try both. We'll go and see Sam Pete and Daisy, and Cho can see if he can find Danny with agent Gibbs." Gibbs looked at Jane before looking at Lisbon.

"Are we really basing our investigation on a carnival hunch this guy has?"

Lisbon looked surprised. "Um, yeah we are. It's a Jane hunch, they're usually accurate enough. And Sam and Pete are good people, so there's nothing to worry about." Jane smiled at Lisbon calling Sam and Pete good; he knew they'd like that, even if they didn't approve of Pepper all that much. Carni folk usually ran on word of mouth, and if what Lisbon did for Danny had gotten back to Sam and Pete, he knew they'd accept Pepper as one of them for being so decent to one of them when she didn't have to, knowing he was guilty. She could have detained him and she let him get away. That went a long way in Sam's and Pete's minds, Jane knew. He placed a hand at Lisbon's elbow gently.

"Shall we, Pepper?"

Lisbon groaned. "I hate that name, Jane!"

"Get used to it, Sam and Pete will call you it!"

"They're not annoying about it, unlike you!"

"Meh, you love me really."

"Keep dreaming, Jane."

"You wound me woman."

"It'll be physical wounding in a minute!"

"Hey, Lisbon- OW!"

"Told you so."

Cho looked at the incredulous face of Gibbs and shrugged. "That's just what they're like," He told the older man, watching the scene with the tiniest smile on his face. Gibbs shrugged and took a swig of coffee.

"They remind me of DiNozzo and David."

"Wedding bells?"

"It's never a good idea to get married."

"Depends on the couple."

"True."

Gibbs looked at Cho, who stared straight back. Gibbs nodded. "Shall we find this Danny guy then?"

Cho nodded. "Yeah, I'll see what Grace can do when we get back to CBI."

…

McGee watched as Grace typed something into the computer before sighing and rolling her neck in agitation. He grimaced. She was obviously the newest in this team, though she'd probably been there a while. He walked over to her and sat beside her.

"Hey, I'm Tim, Tim McGee."

"Grace, Grace Van Pelt."

They shook hands and McGee nodded, leaning back.

"How long you been working here?"

Grace smiled. "About five years or so, I'm not sure anymore. So much has happened, it feels like forever."

Tim smiled. "Is T a good boss or is she too harsh?"

"Who's 'T'?"

McGee smiled. "Teresa Lisbon. I just forget she's not just Teresa around here."

"The boss is the boss," Grace smiled back as she logged off from her computer and unplugged a USB stick from the side of the tower near her feet. "She's fair and what's right usually wins over what she wants. It's just who she is. How do you know her Tim?"

"Oh I was friends with her brother James throughout high school and me and T have been friends since I helped James out of trouble way back when we were just freshman. None of us really had the right kind of company back then, and we helped each other out whenever we could. James had my back and I had his, and T had both of our backs. That's pretty much it."

Grace smiled sweetly at McGee and he grinned back. "I was going to grab some dinner, do you want some too?" She asked as she grabbed her things. McGee nodded and grabbed his coat and phone and together they headed out for dinner.

…

"Sam!"

Sam turned from the steps of the trailer to see none other than Patrick Jane running towards her, closely followed by Pepper- no, Teresa, she mentally corrected herself. Teresa had helped one of them, and she deserved at least a little tolerance. Sam quickly took in the appearances of the two running up. Patrick looked upset, almost frantic as he ran up, but Teresa lagged a little behind, looking a little bored yet also really worried at the same time. Sam turned and made her way back down the steps to await them.

Patrick arrived first. "Sam!" He held out his arms but Sam just rolled her eyes.

"Patrick."

Teresa then arrived. "Jane, it's not the end of the world."

Jane turned and glared at her, though Sam could also see a wisp of worry and protectiveness seeping through in his eyes. Whatever was going on, Teresa seemed to be the one most in danger, Sam concluded.

"Do I need to get Pete to sort out whatever trouble you got yourselves into?"

Jane rolled his eyes. "Sam, would I really get into that kind of trouble?"

"What kind of trouble?" Lisbon piped up curiously. Sam looked at her, silently evaluating her. Eventually she nodded.

"The worst kind of trouble." Sam told her in a low voice. Lisbon frowned slightly before her expression cleared.

"Ah, like Danny was accused of." Lisbon said, and both Jane and Sam nodded.

"Yeah," Sam agreed before addressing both of them. "So you in the worst kind of trouble?"

Jane looked uncomfortable, no doubt remembering Timothy Carter, Hardy, and others who had died in his quest for Red John. Lisbon simply rolled her eyes and shook her head at Jane's sudden silence. "No, we're not Sam," She told the carnival woman simply. Sam looked relieved but Lisbon shook her head again. "It's about Red John." Sam's face immediately slipped back into worry again.

"Who did he get this time Patrick?" Jane nodded at Lisbon who rolled her eyes again, though she was actually scared of Red John and the threat he had made.

"He wants Lisbon." He said in a low voice. Sam looked shocked.

"But, she's still here Patrick. She's not dead." The unspoken yet hung in the air between them all. Lisbon pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket.

"We got a warning this time."

Sam nodded towards the trailer. "Shall we continue this inside?"

**TBC…?**


End file.
